By Ummi Ismaeel
Minna
Ndigbo from all parts of Nigeria converged on Minna, the Niger State capital, to celebrate one of their own, Eze Pampas Ngozi Nwahiwe, on his 28th and 29 th anniversary as Eze Igbo Minna and also to mark the 2019 Iriji
festival which witnessed the conferment of chieftaincy titles/awards on deserving Igbo sons, daughters and friends of Ndigbo in Niger State.
At the event, which held at the Obi Eze Igbo Minna compound, opposite PW Chanchaga, Minna, the state capital, Eze Nwahiwe said the 2019 Igbo Day was unique because some friends of Ndigbo would be part of the celebration for showing brotherly love to Ndigbo in their businesses sojourn across Nigeria.
The ceremony, he said, was not only to promote Igbo culture and tradition but encouraging parents to use Igbo language during family conversation as the language was fast becoming one of the endangered
species or going into extinction and therefore needed to be revived.
Eze Pampas, who is also the President, Association of Eze Ndigbo in the 19 Northern states and the FCT, Abuja, said that he was happy bringing Ndigbo from across the region together to celebrate, project and promote the Igbo culture and tradition for the benefits of all. Ndigbo in Niger State and across the 19 northern states have been living peacefully with their host communities, going about their
legitimate business, this the Eze Igbo of Minna said brought about the recognition of some non-Igbo for Honourary Chieftaincy titles and
awards.
The President, Igbo Community Association (ICU), Minna, Agbalanze Jezie Nzomiwu, had said the 2019 Igbo Day in the state was made possible through the support of the Eze Igbo Minna palace cabinet, the ICU and friends of the Igbo in the state.
While appealing to wealthy Igbo sons and daughters to save Igbo culture, tradition and language from extinction, Nzomiwu
Disclosed that the ICU was planning to partner willing Corps members of Igbo extraction to promote Igbo language by organizing Igbo classes.
The ICU president, therefore, appealed to parents to support the cause by allowing their wards attend the Igbo classes-lectures, adding that by so doing, “Our children though far away from the East will not be disconnected from their genealogy and ancestors, culture and
tradition”.
Highlights of the 2019 Igbo Day in Minna, which featured different Igbo cultural troupes, witnessed the conferment of the chieftaincy title, Nwanne-di-na-mba, on the former Minister of Sports, Alhaji Sani Ndanusa and Ezi-Enyi Ndigbo title on a member of House of Representatives, Hon. Umar Bago, by the Eze Igbo Minna.